Battle of San Francisco
The Battle of San Francisco was a pivotal battle fought in 2027 between the Korean People's Army and the United States Armed Forces. The battle is known as the official turning point in the Korean-American War, as well as the end of the KPA Occupation and collapse of the New Korean Federation of Occupied America that had been in existence for two years. Background Despite GKR successes across North America, by early 2027 it found itself losing the initiative in the war against the United States. A fleet of the U.S. Navy remained at large somewhere in the Pacific bearing a considerable force of U.S. Marines. Portions of the U.S. Army remained actively fighting in central California, including the 40th Infantry Division. Meanwhile, what had previously been a scattered insurgency across the occupied territories was coalescing into a massive, mutually-supported Resistance, militias armed with abandoned U.S. military equipment and captured KPA hardware. Some areas of the occupied territory, particularly in Utah, were not even safe for KPA forces to traverse in broad daylight. This was still true despite the Dresden-style bombing of Salt Lake City. The KPA, therefore, was growing apprehensive. Numerous victories had not ended the war, and time worked against them. After the victories achieved at the Sioux Falls Massacre in South Dakota in February 2027, the scattered U.S. military was developing a plan to achieve a major victory against the GKR occupation, but the question was where to launch the attack. The Navy and the Marines were critical “wild cards” to be used, and therefore limited the choice of targets to the West Coast. The presence of active regular units in California narrowed the choice of targets to one: San Francisco, the political and economic heart of the GKR occupation. This analysis would be shared by KPA planners, the American leadership knew, and therefore the Americans planned to bring as much force and guile to the battle as possible. Both sides began preparation for the inevitable battle. Korean Defenses Around San Francisco proper, the KPA was dug in with no less than six divisions, including the heavy 5th Armored Division (dug in in the San Bruno State Mountain Park to take advantage of long engagement distances). The elite 718 Division was dispersed amidst several fronts, but a large contingent was assigned to defend the Golden Gate Bridge from infiltration or attack. In fact, the KPA had properly identified the Golden Gate as the linchpin of their defenses. Without it, they could not transfer forces easily between the southern and northern halves of the littoral. Therefore, it was heavily fortified at the north end with Type 99 tanks, LAVs, and entrenched infantry, with formidable support from Z-10 attack helicopters and fighter aircraft. The centerpiece of this fortification was radar-directed large caliber antiaircraft battery which commanded the skies over the western half of the Bay Area, which would ensure low-level air superiority for KPA aviation. A series of gates were erected and damaged civilian vehicles piled up to create a series of defensive lines along the length of the Bridge. To assist in protecting the Bridge and the Bay Area from naval or air attack, KPA forces were also dug in on Alcatraz and Angel Islands, among others. This created a series of mutually-supporting redoubts along the Bay, which (in conjunction with their naval forces) prevented U.S. Navy warships from entering the Bay. The Plan The Battle of San Francisco was conceived as a multiservice, joint operation between the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The size and shape of the Bay Area demanded that any successful assault first gain air and naval superiority over defending ground forces, before launching attacks at will. Therefore, the Navy assembled a fleet consisting of at least two submarines, five destroyers, and several amphibious assault ships bearing the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. This force was tasked with engaging the Korean fleet guarding the Golden Gate, fighting through, and then delivering their Marines directly onto the San Francisco shoreline. On the ground, special forces and smaller units were designated to take key islands and bridges in the San Francisco littoral. SEAL Team One was tasked with taking Alcatraz, an island with intrinsic strategic value due to the commanding view from the middle of the Bay. Another force, call sign Romeo, was tasked with taking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, while a helicopter-borne task force from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, call signs Raptor and Stalker, was ordered to seize Sausalito at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge and then, in conjunction with an armored column from the 185th Armored Regiment from the 40th Infantry Division, drive south into the city proper, destroying KPA air defenses along the way. The Battle The timely arrival of captured convoy of high-grade aviation fuel from the Montrose Resistance Cell proved to be a crucial factor in the battle for the Golden Gate. AH-700 and AH-64 helicopters from the 160th were able to be refueled and deploy in support of the ground battle for the Bridge. Raptor and Stalker landed infantry units around the base of the bridge, which proceeded to overrun dug-in KPA infantry and armored forces. Racing up the maintenance scaffolding of the Bridge, they linked up with the 185th’s leading elements on the bridge itself, and break through several successive defensive lines, including Type 99 tanks, Z-10 attack helicopters, autonomous antipersonnel turrets, unmanned Goliath vehicles, and the ever-present threat of Korean fighters. With the help of a UCAV for close air support, American forces were able to capture the KPA’s heavy antiaircraft batteries, shut them down, and then defeat the Korean quick-response force. The combined 185th-160th force suffered major casualties, including multiple helicopters, vehicles, and personnel, some due to friendly fire from a U.S.A.F. danger-close air strike. Nevertheless, the task force successfully seized the bridge, opening it for a stream of 40th Infantry Division vehicles driving south to join the main battle in San Francisco, behind the KPA’s main defensive lines. During this time, Seal Team One successfully captured Alcatraz Island, and artillery fire missions suppressed KPA outposts on other Bay islands. Task Force Romeo was engaged in heavy fighting at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, suffering major casualties. Five Navy destroyers, including the [[USS John Paul Jones|USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53)]] and the [[USS Milius|USS Milius (DDG-69)]], broke through the Korean blockade in San Diego and rushed north to pave the way for the 11th MEU to assault San Fransisco's seaward defenses. The combined forces of the 11th MEU and 40th Infantry Division then joined hands and assaulted the rear of pinned-down main KPA ground elements, including the 5th Armored Division and the remnants of the 718 Division. Ultimately U.S. forces destroyed the KPA’s San Francisco-based divisions in detail, achieving the first major American victory in the two-year war and perhaps the most important since the American Revolution. Strategic Importance The successful assault by American regular and guerrilla forces on San Francisco was a startling blow to the Korean Occupation. KPA forces, relying on constant aerial and maritime reinforcement and resupply from Asia, would now undoubtedly be forced to conserve resources across the occupied territories. To boot, the E.U. Defense Council was reported to be considering active aid and reinforcement to the United States following the Battle of San Francisco. Furthermore, this coordinated attack demonstrated that the U.S. military west of the Mississippi was not eliminated as an effective force, as had been previously thought. The operation, despite incurring losses, showcased American aircraft, warships, heavy armor, and troops from all four services in an operation reminiscent of the great American military of years past. On top of that, resistance fighters also joined the battle from as far away as Colorado, including the notable Montrose Resistance Cell, they fought side by side with militia from Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Wyoming and Nebraska. What had only weeks previously been considered a defunct organization, the U.S. military demonstrated their continued power and relevance. Trivia *Since Homefront has not direct sequel (Homefront: The Revolution is a reboot) , it can be assumed that the war was won sometime after the victory at San Francisco. Category:Battles Category:Conflicts Category:Events Category:Timeline